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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. track — to keep track
  5. squash — to crush
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. track — a path
  8. swing — music
  9. firm — decided
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — the fish
  12. track — a song
  13. chair — a leader
  14. swing — in golf
  15. firm — a company
  16. squash — the sport
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. firm — steady
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com